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(No Model.) J. T. COLLINS.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

No. 356,029. Patented Jan. 11,1887.

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Wan/MM NTE STATES PATENT FFICEQ JOHN T. COLLINS, OF NORWICH,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HENRY F. PALMER, OF SAME PLACE.

STREET-=SWEEPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,029, dated January11, 1887.

Application filed June 25, 1885. Serial No. 169,701. (No model.)

To all whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, JoHN T. CoLLINs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStreet-Sweeping Machines, which improvements are fully set forth anddescribed in the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanyingdraw- [O ings.

My invention relates to that class of streetsweeping machines in whichthe dirt is swept into a box or other suitable receptacle by means of arevolving brush, my object being to improve and simplify somewhat-thedetails of construction in such a sweeper and to provide adirt-receptacle which can be quickly and easily emptied.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of mynewly-improved streetsweeper. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical sectionalview of said sweeper. Fig. 3 is acrosssection on line at w of Fig. 1,with the hinged sides of box A opened. Fig. 4 is a detached 2 view ofthe brush-shield, showing a means for adjusting the bearings of thebrushshaft as the brush becomes worn and reduced in diameter. Fig. 5 isa view of the front end of the box A.

Briefly described, my device consists of a dirt-receptacle with inclinedbottom, suitably supported on two or more wheels, and a circular brushgeared to the rearaxle and adapted to be'swung out of engagement withthe axle- 5 gear when not in use, the bearings in which the brush-shaftrotates being so secured to the brush-shield that they may be quicklyadjusted to accommodate a brush of greater or less diameter.

The letter A represents the body of my street-sweeper open at its rearend and having its bottom side inclined, so that its forward end isconsiderably lower than the rear open end, through which the dirtenters. My object in thus inclining the bottom of box A is to cause thedirt to gradually move forward by gravity, as the box is jolted orshaken when in use, thereby tending to move the dirt away from the pointWhere it enters said box, and leaving said entrance at all times open toreceive further sweepings.

On one end of the rotatable shaft C, which supports the rear wheels, E,is a gear, a, secured to said shaft. Hinged to the upper rear end of boxA and, preferably,immediately 5 5 over shaft C, is a shield, c, whichcovers and protects the circular brush 1 the journals of the brush-shaftbeing in metallic bearings e, secured adjustably in slots f in theshield 0, the slots f being formed as an arc of a circle, whose centeris also the center of shaft C.

On the end of the brush-shaft is a gear, h, which, when the shield islowered to its normal position, engages gear a, to rotate the brush asthe-complete device is drawn forward. Secured to the bottom of box A isa sheet-metal strip, K, which extends well rearward under the brush, andforms a guide along A which the dirt is brushed toward box A.

As a convenient means by which the driver 0' may raise the brush-gear hout of engagement with gear a, I have providcda lever-arm, m, pivotednear the hinge or pivot of shield c, and having its shorter arm securedto the rear side of said shield. The longer arm of said lever extendswellforward and is held in either a raised or lowered position byretaining slots at a in an arm, F, attached to the front end of box A.Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that a portion of the top of box A,on each side, is hinged to a central stationary strip, 0, and that aconsiderable portion of the adjustable side walls (see '0) is attachedto said hinged portions. The portions thus formed and hinged may beswung upward, as shown in said Fig. 3, when it is desired toshovel,sweep out, or otherwise remove the accumulation of dirt in the main boxA.

Having thus described my invention, I 0 clairn- In combination with asuitable dirt-receptacle, the brush-shield c,hinged to said receptaclc,a circular revolving brush whose bearings are adjustably secured toshield 0, sub- 5 stantially as described, lever-arm m, attached to saidshield, and means for retaining the lever-arm in a desired position, allsubstantially as described, and for theobjects set forth.

JOHN T. COLLINS.

